Continuous mining machine with loading means



July 27, 1965 E. J. HLINSKY 3,197,256

CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE WITH LOADING MEANS Original Filed Jan. 23. 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TORS inn! J #11715 k9 July 27, 1965 E. J. HLINSKY CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE WITH LOADING MEANS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Jan. 23. 1961 INVENTORS' frail 1 #1472517 July 27, 1965 E. J. HLINSKY 3,197,256

CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE WITH LOADING MEANS Original Filed Jan. 23, 1961 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 mmvroxs Emil J Minsky United States Patent 3,197,256 CGNTINUGUS MINING MACHINE WITH LQADING MEANS Emil J. Hlinsky, La Grange Park, 11]., assignor to Goodman Manufacturing tCompany, Chicago, Iil., a corporation of Illinois Original application Jan. 23, 1961, Ser. No. 84,025. Divided and this application Aug. 6, 1%3, Ser. No.

This invention relates to improvements in mining machines and more particularly relates to an improved form of low vein mining machine for mining and loading thin seams of coal in a continuous operation.

This application is a division of my application Serial No. 84,025, filed January 23, 1961, and entitled Continuous Mining Machine.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved low vein continuous mining and loading machine arranged with a view toward simplicity and compactness in construction and efliciency in operation.

Another object of the invention is to improve upon continuous mining and loading machines of the low vein type having side cutting mining heads cutting in arcuate paths from the ribs of the working place toward the center thereof, by utilizing vertical chain and flight conveyors in association with each mining head for progressing themined material by the vertically extending flights of the conveyors onto the receiving end of the elevating conveyor of the machine.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings where- FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a continuous mining and loading machine constructed in accordance with the invention, showing the mining heads extending longitudinally of the main frame of the machine;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan View of the forward end portion by the machine shown in FIGURE 1, with one mining head broken away and the opposite mining head shown in a laterally extended position with respect to the main frame of the machine, with certain parts of the mining head broken away and certain other parts in horizontal section;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken substantially along line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a partial fragmentary view in side elevation of the forward end portion of the machine, looking substantially along line 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged partial fragmentary plan view of one of the gathering conveyors of the machine, showing the conveyor in a laterally extended position with respect to the main frame of the machine, with certain parts of the conveyor broken away and certain other parts shown in horizontal section; and

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic view showing the cutting pattern of the mining heads cutting out the vertical cusp at the transverse center of the working place.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIG- URE l of the drawings, I have shown a mining machine 10 of the scissors side cutting continuous mining type, adapted to cut out and load a seam of coal by feeding two side cutting mining heads 11, 11 sidewise into the working face of a coal seam by bodily advance of the machine toward the working face, when said mining heads are in the extreme laterally extended positions indicated by the right angled intersecting dotted lines A in FIG URE l, and then by feeding the mining heads 11 in arcuate paths toward each other across the working face 5 (Ilaims.

Patented July 27, 1965 "Ice about fixed vertical axes at the forward end portion of the machine.

The mining machine it includes generally a main frame 12. mounted on a pair of laterally spaced continuous traction tread devices (not shown), for propelling the machine from working place to working place and for advancing the machine toward a working face, to feed the side cutting mining heads 11 thereinto, when in the laterally extended positions indicated by reference characters A in FIGURE 1.

Extending along the central portion of main frame 12 is a laterally flexible single strand chain and flight conveyor 15 extending from an inclined apron 16 at the front of the machine in an upwardly inclined direction from said apron and extending over the top of the machine. The flight conveyor 15 has a laterally swingable rear end portion 17, swung from side to side and maintained in a desired position with respect to the centerline of the machine by fluid pressure operated jacks 19, in a manner well known to those skilled in the art, so not herein shown or described further. g

The side cutting mining heads 11 are mounted on boom or feeder arms 26, pivotally mounted on vertical pivot pins 21 at the forward "end portion of the main frame 12 at opposite sides of the conveyor 15.

The forward end portion of the main frame 12 extending along each side of the conveyor 15, is of a generally bifurcated formation having a bottom plate 22 within which the associated pivot pin 21 is secured at its lower end, and having a vertically spaced top plate 23, through which the pivot pin 21 extends and which is abutted by the head of said pivot pin (FIGURE 2). The boom arm 20 is journalled on the pivot pin 21 in the spaced between the plates 22 and 23 and has a bottom plate 24 abutting the flange of a flanged bearing (not shown), mounted on the pivot pin 21, and has a vertically spaced top plate 26 extending beneath the top plate 23 and mounted on a flanged bearing 27 mounted on the pivot pin 21. The top plate 26 has a depending boss 30 journalled on the bearing 27 while the bottom plate 26 has a similar upwardly extending boss (not shown), journalled on the lower flanged bearing (not shown).

Each boom arm 20is of a generally dog leg form in plan and extends angularly outwardly from the pivot pin 21 of a portion of the length thereof and terminates into a mining head support portion 31 extending longitudinally of the main frame 12 when the mining heads 11 are in the longitudinally extended positions shown in FIGURE 1.

Each boom arm 20 also has upper and lower vertically spaced parallel gathering conveyor guide and support arms or plates 32 and 33, respectively, extending angularly inwardly of the plates 24 and 26 when the boom arm is in the longitudinally extended position shown in FIGURE 1, and forming a guide and support means for a vertical endles chain and flight gathering conveyor 35. The gathering conveyor 35 includes a pair of vertically spaced endless chains 36 having vertically extending flights 37 carried therebetween.

As shown in FIGURE 5, a sleeve 39 encircles the boss 30 and a similar boss extending upwardly from the bottom plate 24. and is journalled thereon on anti-friction bearings 46. The sleeve 39 has sprocket teeth 41 formed integrally with its upper and lower ends and meshing with the endless chains 36, for driving said chains and changing the directions of said chains about the pivot pin 21.

The sleeve 39 also has gear teeth 43 formed integrally therewith meshing with and driven by a spur gear 44 driven from a motor pinion 45 keyed or otherwise secured to the lower end of a motor shaft 4-6 of a motor 47. The mot-or is mounted on and extends through the top plate 32 and is suitably secured to said top plate and depends therefrom in the space between the plates 32 and 33. The motor 47 may be a fluid pressure operated motor.

Vertically extending plates 45 and 5t} enclose the spaces between the top and bottom plates 32 and 53 and are spaced inwardly of the outer margins thereof. The plate 4-9 extends along the inner advance sides of the guide plates 32 and 33 and forms a material confining plate for the material carrying run of the conveyor. The plate 56 extends along the opposite sides of the plates 32. and 33 from the plate 49 and forms a backup plate for the return run of the conveyor.

The plates 32 and 33 converge toward their outer or for ward ends and have vertically spaced sprockets 51 at their forward end portions, mounted on an idler shaft 52. The sprockets 51 are meshed with the endless chains 36 and form a direction changing means therefor at the forward ends of their paths of travel.

It will be noted from FIGURES 3 and 4 that the lower chains 36 are spaced above the floor level and that an inclined shoe 53 extends downwardly from the lower plate 33 at an outwardly inclined angle with respect to said plate and chains and serves to scrape the mined loose material falling onto the floor along the mine floor and to confine the material between the two conveyors as the mining heads 11 are fed inwardly toward each other, to be progressed by said conveyors toward the conveyor 15. The shoes 53 may be mounted for retractible movement with respect to the ground, to enable said shoes to clear obstructions on the ground. A link 55 connects the lower plate 33 at its outer or forward end portion with the lower plate 24 of the boom arm 2%), to provide a relatively rigid connection between said boom arm and the outer end of said lower plate.

The boom arms 2%) and side cutting mining heads 11 are swung from side to side to feed said mining heads across the working place about the axes of the shafts or pivot pins 21 by means of hydraulic jacks 57 pivotally connected to the main frame 12 on opposite sides of the conveyor 15 and on pivot pins 53, and including cylinders 59 having piston rods 62 extensible therefrom and pivotally connected to cars 6% on pivot pins 61.

Each side cutting mining head 11 includes a drum 63 having a helical scroll 64 extending therealong. The helical scroll 64- has cutter bit carrying blocks 65 mounted thereon having the usual cutter bits 66 detachably mounted therein.

Each drum 63 also has cutter bit carrying blocks 67 extending about its periphery at the forward end thereof. The blocks 67 carry the usual cutter hits as for trimming the rib of the working place as the drum is sumped into the mine face when in the laterally extended position shown in FIGURE 2.

Each drum 63 has a shaft 753 suitably secured thereto and extending rearwardly therefrom and journalled adjacent the drum 63 on an anti-friction bearing 71 mounted Within an annular bearing support 72 on a cutter support frame and gear housing 73. The cutter support and gear rousing 73 houses the gearing for driving the shaft 71 from a motor 75. The shaft 79 extends across the cutter support and housing 73 and is journalled' at its free end on an anti-friction bearing 76, suitably mounted in said cutter support frame. The shaft 79 also has a spur gear 77 keyed or otherwise secured thereto, for driving said shaft from a geared reduction train 7 9, suitably journalled Within the cutter support and housing 73 and driven from a motor pinion 80 on a motor shaft 81.

The motor 75 is mounted on the boom arm 29 between the plates Maud 26 and .abuts a transverse divider plate 83 at its shaft end and is suitably secured thereto. The motor shaft 81 extends through a flanged sleeve 84 into the cutter support and gear housing 73. The flanged portion of the flange sleeve 34 is recessed within the divider plate 83 and is suitably secured to said divider plate. The flanged sleeve 84 extends within the cutter support and housing 73 .and forms a support for an anti-friction hearing 85, forming a bearing mounting for the cutter support and housing '73:. The forward wall of the cutter support and housing 73 is journalled on a stud 86 secured to an end wall 87 of the boom arm 29. The stud 86 projects within an annular bearing support portion 88 of the cutter support 83 and mounted on the stud 35 forms a pivotal ward end wall of said cutter support and housing. An anti-friction bearing 89 carried in the annular bearing support 88 and mounted on the stud 86 forms a pivotal mounting for the cutter support and housing 73.

The means for swinging the cutter support and housing 73 and the mining head 11 about the axis of the motor 81, and thereby vertically adjusting the mining head 11, is shown in FXGURES 2 and 3 as comprising a hydraulic jack 9% spaced inwardly of the motor and pivotally connected at one end between two upright cars 91, extending upwardly from the lower plate 24 of the boom arm 20, on a pivot pin 93. The hydraulic jack 90 has an extensible piston rod 92 pivotally connected at its upper end to a connector 94 on a pivot pin 95.

The hydraulic jacks 9t} on opposite sides of the machine may be independently supplied with fluid under pressure to independently elevate or lower the mining heads 11 and hold said mining heads in 'desired positions of elevation under the control of the usual fluid pressure control valves (not shown).

A cuttings deflector shield 96 extends along the retreating face of each side cutting mining head 11 and conforms generally to the paths of travel of the cutter bits 66 and has a flanged inner end portion 97 suitably secured to the front wall of the cutter support housing 7 3.

Each cutter support and housing 73 is shown in FIG- URE 1 as having a stop 99 projecting inwardly therefrom. The stops @9 are positioned to come into engagement with each other prior to interference of the mining heads with each other. When the stops 99 come into engagement with each other and limit inward feeding movement of the mining heads 11, the direction of travel of one mining head may be reversed. Feeding movement of the other mining head may then continue, to cut out the vertical cusps at the center of the working face.

In the operation of mining a working face of a seam of coal, assuming the machine 10 is in the Working place of a mine, the two mining heads 11 are positioned in the laterally extended positions indicated by reference characters A in FIGURE 1. The mining heads are then vertically adjusted by operation of the hydraulic jacks 99 to make a first cut along the mine bottom and of a height equal to the cutting diameters of the mining heads.

The entire machine is then advanced toward the working face by operation of its supporting traction devices (not shown), and the two mining heads are rotatably driven by their individual motors 75 to rotate toward each other. As the mining heads are sumped into the working face to the required depth, fluid under pressure is admitted to the head ends of the hydraulic jacks 57 to feed the mining heads inwardly toward each other until the stops 99 come into engagement with each other. The overload relief valve of the fluid pressure system (not shown) will'then open and the feeding operation of the mining heads will stop. Fluid under pressure may then be admitted to the piston rod end of the right hand hydraulic jack to retractibly move the right hand mining head. At the same time fluid under pressure may be admitted to the head of the left hand hydraulic jack to continue feeding movement of the left hand mining head to cut past the center of the seam.

In FIGURE 6, I have indicated by solid lines B, the positions of the two mining heads'as the stops 99 come into engagement with each other. When the mining heads are in this position, the righthand mining head 11 may be retractibly moved to position C, while movement of the left hand mining head 11 may be continued to position D overlapping the cut made by the right hand mining head and cutting out the cusps left at the center of the working face and along the floor and roof of the mine. While the mining heads may be slewed back and forth to completely cut out the cusps at the center of the working place, the cusps left when the left hand mining head is moved to position D are negligible, so usually need not be trimmed any further than is indicated in FIGURES 1 and 6. When the left hand mining head reaches position D, the two mining heads may be retractibly moved to the laterally extended position A. The machine may then be backed away from the working face, and Where the seam is thicker than the cutting diameters of the mining heads, the mining heads may be elevated to cut the coal depending from the mine roof. The sumping and lateral cutting operation just described may then be repeated.

During the entire mining operation the conveyors 35 are in operation to confine and progress the mined material to the conveyor 15. The inclined shoes 53 also scrape and lift the mined material from the mine floor into the paths of the flight conveyors 35 and assure a continuous flow of mined material from the gathering heads to the elevating conveyor.

While I have herein shown and described several forms in which my invention may be embodied, it may readily be understood that various modifications and variations in the invention may be attained without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

1 claim as my invention:

1. In a continuous mining machine, a mobile main frame, an elevating conveyor extending along said main frame from a position adjacent the ground at the forward end of said main frame, a pair of boom arms pivotally mounted on said main frame on opposite sides of said conveyor adjacent the forward end of said main frame for movement about parallel spaced vertical axes, power means moving said boom arms toward and from each other about said vertical axes, a side cutting mining head carried by each boom arm in front of said conveyor, power means rotatably driving said mining heads, and gathering means in association with each boom arm on the advance side thereof as said boom arms move toward each other comprising, an orbitally traveling flight conveyor having spaced vertical flights forming rear continuations of said mining heads and inclined shoes extending downwardly from said flight conveyor to the ground, for scraping the mined material from the ground and maintaining the material on the ground in the paths of said flight conveyors.

2. In a continuous mining machine, a mobile main frame, an elevating conveyor extending along said main frame from a position adjacent the ground at the forward end of said main frame, a pair of side cutting mining heads spaced in advance of said conveyor at opposite sides thereof, a pair of boom arms pivotally mounted on said main frame for movement across the front of said main frame about vertical axes disposed at opposite sides of said conveyor, means supporting said mining heads on said boom arms to extend in advance of the forward end thereof, power means feeding said boom arms and mining heads toward and from each other in arcuate paths across the front of said main frame, other power means for rotatably driving said mining heads, and means for advancing the material mined by said mining heads to said conveyor, comprising a gathering conveyor associated with each boom arm on the advance side thereof as said boom arms move toward each other and including vertically spaced endless chains guided for movement in horizontal orbital paths and having vertically extending flights connected therebetween spaced above the mine floor, and inclined shoes extending downwardly from said flight conveyors into scraping engagement with the ground on the advance sides of said flight conveyors as said mining heads move toward each other for scraping the mined material on the ground to be confined and flowed toward said elevating conveyor as said mining heads progress toward each other. j H

3). In a continuous mining machine, a mobile main frame, an elevating conveyor extending along said main frame from a position adjacent the ground at the forward end of said main frame, a boom arm at each side of said conveyor and extending in advance thereof, vertical pivot pins mounting said boom arms on said main frame, power means for moving said boom arms toward and from each other about said vertical pivot pins, a side cutting mining head supported on each boom arm and extending in advance thereof, an individual motor driving each mining head, and gathering means pivotally mounted on said pivot pins and extending along said boom arms on the advance side thereof as said boom arms move toward each other and including vertical material confining plates and guide plates at the upper and lower ends of said material confining plates, endless chain and flight conveyors movable along said material confining plates and guided between said guide plates and having vertically extending flights, and inclined shoes extending downwardly from the lowermost of said guide plates into scraping engagement with the ground on the advance sides of said guide plates as said mining heads move toward each other for scraping the mined material from the ground and confining the mined material to be flowed by said vertical flights onto said elevating conveyor as said mining heads progresstoward each other.

4. In a continuous mining machine, a mobile main frame, an elevating conveyor extending along said main frame from a position adjacent the ground at the forward end of said main frame, a boom arm at each side of said conveyor, a side cutting mining head mounted on each boom arm and extending forwardly therefrom, individual motors for driving said mining heads, vertical pivot pins mounting said boom arms on said main frame, power means moving said boom arms toward and from each other about the axes of said ivot pins, gathering means in association with each mining head and including ver tioally spaced horizontal guide plates extending from said boom arms in the region of said pivot pins, a material confining plate mounted between, said guide plates inwardly of the advance margins thereof as said mining heads move toward each other and vertical backup plates extending along the opposite sides of said guide plates inwardly of the margins thereof, vertically spaced drive sprockets coaxial with each pivot pin, an individual motor for driving each pair of drive sprockets, endless chains meshing with said drive sprockets and guided between said guide lates for movement along said material confining and backup plates, vertical flights mounted between said endless chains, inclined scraper shoes extending downwardly from the lowermost of said guide plates into scrap ing engagement with the ground, on the advance sides of said guide plates, as said boom arms move toward each other for confining the mined material falling onto the ground and cooperating with said vertical flights to effect the flow of the mined material towards said elevating conveyor.

5. In a continuous mining machine, a mobile main frame, an elevating conveyor extending along said main. frame from a position adjacent the ground at the forward end of said main frame, a boom arm at each side of said conveyor and extending in advance thereof, vertical pivot pins mounting said boom arms on said main frame, power means for moving said boom arms toward and from each other about said vertical pivot pins, a side cutting mining head supported on each boom arm and extending in advance thereof, an individual motor driving each mining head, and gathering means extending along said boom arms along the advance sides thereof as said boom arms move toward each other and including vertical material confining plates extending along said boom arms from positions adjacent the inner ends of said mining heads to positions adjacent opposite sides of said conveyor, vertically spaced guide plates extending along the upper and lower ends of said material confining plates, vertically spaced idler sprockets in advance of the forward ends of said material confining plates and facing said mining heads, vertically spaced drive sprockets coaxial with said pivot pins, and endless chains trained about said idler and drive sprockets and guided by said guide plates for movement along said confining plates and having spaced vertically extending flights mounted therebetween, said idler sprockets guiding said chains and flights to collect the material mined by said mining heads and rogress the material along said material confining plates toward said References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,954,220 9/ 60 Berg-mann. 2,97 3,949 3/61 Densmore. 2,979,319 4/61 Anderson.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,197,256 July 27, 1965 Emil J. Hlinsky It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 2, line 33, for "spaced" read space line 56, for "endles" read endless column 4, lines 7 and 8, strike out "88" and mounted on the stud 86 forms a pivotal ward end wall" and insert instead and housing 73 and extending inwardly of the forward end wall Signed and sealed this 8th day of March 1966.

EAL) ttest:

RNEST W. SWIDER EDWARD J. BRENNER :testing Officer Commissioner of Patents 

5. IN A CONTINUOUS MINING MACHINE, A MOBILE MAIN FRAME, AN ELEVATING CONVEYOR EXTENDING ALONG SAID MAIN FRAME FROM A POSITION ADJACENT THE GROUND AT THE FORWARD END OF SAID MAIN FRAME, A BOOM ARM AT EACH SIDE OF SAID CONVEYOR AND EXTENDING IN ADVANCE THEREOF, VERTICAL PIVOT PINS MOUNTING SAID BOOM ARMS ON SAID FRAME, POWER MEANS FORMOVING SAID BOOM ARMS TOWARD AND FROM EACH OTHER ABOUT SAID VERTICAL PIVOT PINS, A SIDE CUTTING MINING HEAD SUPPORTED ON EACH BOOM ARM AND EXTENDING IN ADVANCE THEREOF, AN INDIVIDUAL MOTOR DRIVING EACH MINING HEAD, AND GATHERING MEANS EXTENDING ALONG SAID BOOM ARMS ALONG THE ADVANCE SIDES THEREOF AS SAID BOOM ARMS MOVE TOWARD EACH OTHER AND INCLUDING VERTICAL MATERIAL CONFINING PLATES EXTENDING ALONG SAID BOOM ARMS FROM POSITIONS ADJACENT THE INNER ENDS OF SAID MINING HEADS TO POSITIONS ADJACENT OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID CONVEYOR, VERTICALLY SPACED GUIDE PLATES EXTENDING ALONG THE UPPER AND LOWER ENDS OF SAID MATERIAL CONFINING PLATES, VERTICALLY SPACED IDLER SPROCKETS IN ADVANCE OF THE FORWARD ENDS OF SAID MATERIAL CONFINING PLATES AND FACING SAID MINING HEADS VERTICALLY SPACED DRIVE SPOCKETS COAXIAL WITH SAID PIVOT PINS, AND ENDLESS CHAINS TRAINED ABOUT SAID IDLER AND DRIVE SPROCKETS AND GUIDED BY SAID GUIDE PLATES FOR MOVEMENT ALONG SAID CONFINING PLATES AND HAVING SPACED VERTICALLY EXTENDING FLIGHTS MOUNTED THEREBETWEEN, SAID IDLER SPROCKETS GUIDING SAID CHAINS AND FLIGHTS TO COLLECT THE MATERIAL MINED BY SAID MINING HEADS AND PROGRESS THE MATERIAL ALONG SAID MATERIAL CONFINING PLATES TOWARD SAID ELEVATING CONVEYOR AS SAID MINING HEADS PROGRESS TOWARD EACH OTHER. 